Everything Apple Announced at Its ‘Peek Performance’ Event

This might not seem like big news compared to Apple’s flagship iPhone. But the iPhone SE has made it easier for folks to switch from Android, which is why it was one of the first devices that Apple trotted out. The small and mighty iPhone SE 5G is the first from the budget-friendly lineup to feature a 5G antenna. It also has the iPhone 13’s stellar processor and capable camera system. And if you miss smaller, pocketable phones, this 4.7-inch delight, available in three colors, might be more to your liking among all the honkers out there.

The iPhone SE 5G starts at $430.

If you’re thinking about getting a new tablet, you’re probably considering an iPad. Apple packed the new one with the MacBook’s M1 chip. And while the same processor is already in the iPad Pro, you’ll probably like this one’s price point a little better.

The 5th-generation Apple iPad Air starts at $600. It features a complete redesign from its predecessors and is available in five colors: gray, pink, blue, starlight, and purple. The screen on the iPad Air is a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display and powering it up is an M1 chip, just like the Macs and iPad Pro.

The front-facing camera has also been improved. It’s now a 12-MP sensor, up from 7-MP. It features Center Stage so that friends and family are always in the frame as you video chat. There’s 5G bundled in here, too, but like the iPhone SE 5G, it’s not mmWave-compatible.

Before we can tell you about the new Mac, we need to tell you about what’s powering it up inside. Apple announced the M1 Ultra, which is essentially its M1 Max chip stacked twice in the ultimate Mac Studio machine (we’ll get to that in a bit).

The M1 Ultra combines two M1 Max dies using a custom-build architecture, essentially doubling the performance. It’s a 20-core chip with 16 performance cores and four efficiency cores and supports up to 128GB of unified RAM. Apple claims the M1 Ultra is eight times more powerful than the M1 chip in the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro 13.

There is nothing Apple users wanted more than an all-you-need Mac machine in the shape of a tiny box—seriously, the Mac Mini was a big hit back in its heyday. For those looking to replicate the experience, there’s the Mac Studio, though this version is a little more muscley.

The Mac Studio is a 7.7-inch wide by 3.7-inch tall device. It’s meant specifically for professional Apple users who see the value in dropping the cash on the company’s latest and greatest. The Mac Studio starts at $2000 with the M1 Max chip and $4000 with the M1 Ultra.

The inside of the device utilizes a unique fan design that Apple says will keep things quiet and cool in your workspace. There are also a heaping of ports, including an Ethernet port, two USB ports, an HDMI port, and a requisite headphone/mic jack. There is an SD card slot and two additional USB-C ports on the front, but if you get the M1 Ultra configuration, those ports get bumped up to Thunderbolt 4 speeds.

Apple revealed the Studio Display, an all-screen monitor with narrow bezels and a fully-adjustable tilt stand. The 27-inch 5K Retina Display monitor produces over 14.7 million pixels and a maximum of 600nits of brightness. It starts at $1600.

The monitor features an A13 Bionic chip inside to help with the new camera and audio system in the Studio Display. It starts with the 12-MP Ultra Wide Camera capable of Center Stage, so video chats are always in focus. There’s also a three-microphone array on the back and a six-speaker sound system to get the tunes flowing in the room.

There are plenty of ports on the back, too. The Studio Display includes three USB-C ports, a Thunderbolt port to connect to a Mac, and power delivery up to 96W.

Apple made a few minor announcements at the beginning of its event. The first batch relates to Apple TV+, the company’s premium streaming service, which starts at $5/month.

You can expect some new Original Films to premiere this year, which Apple teased by flashing the names of some of its A-list gets, including Samuel L. Jackson and Dakota Johnson.

Baseball lovers will also get a kick out of Apple TV+’s Friday Night Baseball, which will broadcast the night’s games, plus the pre- and postgame shows, along with highlights, game replays, and classic games from your favorite teams. Let’s hope the MLB reaches a contract agreement, so there is baseball this season.

Part of the fun of picking out a smartphone these days is getting one in an aesthetic that matches your daily vibe. Last but not least, Apple announced the iPhone 13 is now available in two shades of green, including Green, and Alpine Green. For those who want others to be green with envy, this is it.